


Language of Swords

by Okami01



Series: Ashe Week 2020 [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Ashe Week (Fire Emblem), Light Angst, M/M, Pining, Requited Unrequited Love, Swordfighting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-10
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:49:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23094367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Okami01/pseuds/Okami01
Summary: Ashe wants to get better at using swords. Felix comes by.   Ashe tries not to spend all his time thinking about his crush. - Prompts for Ashe week - Training.
Relationships: Ashe Duran | Ashe Ubert/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Series: Ashe Week 2020 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659808
Comments: 2
Kudos: 36





	Language of Swords

If Ashe hadn't already started his day then he would have sworn it was all a dream. If he hadn't been standing there in the training grounds like this he would have been sure that he was imagining it.

He held a wooden sword. Swung it left and right in practice drills. It's peaceful in a way and he knows that if he keeps trying, he'll get better. 

The peace dissipates and turns into a heart-pounding nervousness. 

He'd heard Felix come up behind him. Felix taps on his shoulder, without all that much pressure. Still, it was sharp in a way that everything Felix did was. 

Even though he'd seen him coming. Felix could have been coming three hours in advance and Ashe would still be nervous. Nervous in a good way, he supposed. If that were possible. Excited. Even though Felix's words carried the same sternness that everything about him did. 

"Your form is sloppy," Felix says. "Here. You should do this."

Felix moves closer and directs Ashe's arm up with an impatient sigh. 

" Like this."

Ashe nods with wide eyes and an awkward smile. He's glad that Felix is looking at the floor so he doesn't see Ashe's beat-red blush.  
Maybe it's because Felix is so close, Ashe can see some of his pretty black strands of hair not tied up in his ponytail. Maybe it's because he just touched him and it's electrifying. He wants more of it. And he might not be thinking 100% clearly when he tries to ask Felix on a date.

" F-Felix… maybe later do you want to-"

" You want to spar?" Felix finishes. Sounding surprisingly eager. It makes Ashe's heart jump more than it already is. 

Sparring is good too. It's nice to train. Though that isn't what he had in mind. And it's not like Felix wouldn't turn him down if he'd asked to do something romantic.  
So he answers.  
"Yes, please."

Maybe that was a mistake. Because the next thing he knows, Ashe is wincing in pain. 

______________

" You're going to have to try harder than that," Ashe." Felix's sharp words have been burning in Ashe's mind since they'd started training together. 

With swords. Even though Ashe was better with bows. His mind wandered a bit, thinking about how he could help Felix learn to use one better. You needed to be close to each other to do that. 

But he wasn't trying to think too hard about that, not now at least. Because it was a disservice to Felix's sword techniques. 

Each fluid stroke leaving him in awe, and also on his back. Ashe was getting his butt kicked, which was probably to be expected.  
When he gets up this time, he yelps. 

" If you're actually trying at all," Felix mutters. Moving back into his fighting stance. 

Ashe gets up on his own. Repressing a sigh. He'd asked for this after all. It wasn't like he'd never held a sword before. He really did want to do well. 

It's just that Felix was actually really skilled. Maybe there was a part of him that loved seeing Felix with his hair slightly loose. Breathing a little hard, cheeks flushed from exertion. Concentrated and focused. On the swordfight,.of course. But also on Ashe. 

Ashe really wanted to train to get stronger. To be a better knight. He needed to get stronger and stick with that training more than anything else 

They go again. Ashe charges him and Felix parries. The black-haired boy is naturally stronger.  
It could be because Felix has already won multiple times. Ashe isn't exactly thinking straight. When he presses forward, Ashe leans back and kicks Felix in the shins. Felix falls and Ashe nearly falls himself.  
Felix lets out a startled gasp.  
He presses his blade to Felix's neck. Stares down at him with alarm. Starts to blink. He can't believe it.

" Ah, I'm so sorry, Felix, are you ok?" Ashe asks frantically, jumping back. 

Felix sighs and jumps up without Ashe's help. 

" Of course I'm fine. It barely hurts."

They started again. And when Felix slashed his sword at Ashe's chest. He felt his mind go black and then suddenly, the things he used to do on the streets came back to him in a flash 

Knives digging into flesh in dark allies. Cut purse strings. Slit throats. He'd never wanted to get caught. He hadn't wanted to steal. More than anything he hadn't wanted his siblings to stave. And now… now he couldn't actually see.

Someone took his wrists in his as he shook and opened up his eyes. 

Felix stared at him. When Ashe looked back he stared at the ground. 

" We should stop," Felix said quietly. His voice almost foreign without its usual sharpness

He touches Ashe's arm. Reaches up further to his shoulder. Towards his neck. Ashe chokes back a whimper. 

He'd wanted to train, after all. He shouldn't be freaking out in the middle of it. His cheeks burn, from embarrassment and partially… from Felix touching him again. Gently this time. Thankfully, Felix still stared at the ground as he usually did. 

The black-haired boy still seemed to notice Ashe's nervousness after a while. 

He made a choking sound, his hand tenses. Over a knot in Ashe's back. Felix's voice seems almost strained.  
" You're nimble and your fighting style is different from most."

Felix doesn't say anything about his past. 

" You can't freeze up like that. You shouldn't, anyway. In a real fight, it'll get you killed. Even if you're only doing this… to become a knight. I'd rather you find strength wherever you can…"

Ashe doesn't miss the disdain in Felix's voice when he talks about knights. Mostly because he isn't hiding it whatsoever. 

"What I mean is, there's no shame in fighting dirty if that's what it takes."

Felix glances down at the space between his legs. 

Ashe blushes. Felix hides the traces of pain in his eyes by looking at the ground again.

" Oh, goddess! No Felix I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hit you t-there."

" Don't mention it… ever again. It's fine."

Ashe still isn't sure that it is, but he isn't going to protest. " Never," he says nodding his head.

" Actually… Maybe show me how to do that."

" Yes," Ashe nearly shouts. 

As ridiculous as it sounds, Ashe never wants Felix to get up. His hand is still touching Ashe's in a sign of comfort. 

Ashe nods and chokes out a nearly breathless and heavily delayed " thank you." He continues, words tumbling out before he can think of them.  
" You just look so cool whenever you fight, Felix."

Felix kind of scoffs or maybe it's a growl. He looks at the ground. " Thank you. Fighting isn't about looking cool though," he protests. 

" You… can't help how you look though, I guess… but it doesn't have anything to do with how well you fight. If you're doing well… If you have good form... then you'll look good"

Ashe listens intently, even though he always thinks Felix looks cool. That he doesn't say. But he doesn't miss the small bit of color in Felix's own cheeks. 

Felix grunts. 

"A-and um… Felix, " Ashe starts, finally feeling himself work up his nerve again. Not enough to confess anything. He should probably take small steps, not leap in the lake all at once. Not that he wouldn't mind.  
" Do you want to go and get something to eat?"

He waits for a second that seems more like an eternity. Felix replies.  
" I'm hungry… I'll go with you."

Felix stands again and Ashe doesn't miss the look of pain that passes through his features again. 

" Show me how to do those things next time."

" Next time," Ashe repeats in awe. Getting up himself. " Are you… sure that you want to?"

" I just said it, so I mean it."

Felix has only really agreed to train with Ashe. You can eat with almost anyone. But he can't deny the fuzzy warm feeling inside his chest. 

_____

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Ashe week! Thanks for reading (: Feashe is such a cute ship that I couldn't stop myself. High romance is apparently hitting your crush with a sword in unmentionable places 0:  
> @Tavitay on twitter


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